Regenerative medicine is rapidly developing and is already being applied in most countries worldwide. However, the best results can be expected when receiving services in one of the developed countries with access to new technologies and modern equipment. One of the best options is Germany. An increasing number of German clinics are not only conducting stem cell research but also using them in clinical practice. You can find the cost of stem cell therapy in Germany and make an appointment on the Booking Health website.
How Cell Therapy is Conducted
Cell therapy is not a single standardised treatment method but an entire direction in medicine. Stem cell (SC) therapy is conducted differently depending on your condition and the clinic where you receive treatment.
In any case, there are general principles of cell therapy. The treatment scheme can be described as follows:
- Obtaining SCs.
- Possible extracorporeal (outside the body) processing. Usually, this involves cultivation to produce a larger number of cells and freezing them.
- Introduction of SCs into the body.
How SCs are Obtained
Cells are obtained from the patient's body, less often from a donor. Their sources can be various: umbilical cord, peripheral blood, bone marrow, adipose tissue.
The process of obtaining cells can be invasive. Bone marrow puncture is performed under anaesthesia. It's a quick procedure that allows for obtaining many cells. A longer but less traumatic method is obtaining SCs from peripheral blood. The person is given drugs that stimulate the release of SCs from the bone marrow, and then the blood is passed through a machine that collects the cells. This can take several hours, and sometimes several such procedures are required.
The simplest method of using SCs is obtaining them from adipose tissue and introducing them fresh, without cultivation and freezing. However, such cells are only suitable for restoring musculoskeletal structures, not internal organs. They are widely used in orthopaedics, such as arthrosis, tendinopathies, enthesopathies, bursitis, and other chronic pathologies associated with degenerative tissue changes.
How SCs are Introduced
There are three types of SC therapy, depending on the area of cell introduction:
- Systemic therapy – cells are introduced intravenously, allowing them to circulate throughout the body via the bloodstream. Despite being introduced systemically, these cells can home in damaged areas due to chemical signals released by injured tissues.
- Regional therapy – cells are introduced into vessels feeding a specific organ. For example, cells might be injected into the hepatic artery in liver fibrosis. This method requires a more complex procedure, often performed under angiographic guidance with catheterisation of a major artery.
- Local regenerative therapy – introduction of SCs into the problem organ. Examples include injections into the spinal fluid for neurological conditions, into various spaces of the eye for ocular diseases, or directly into a joint for arthritis treatment. This method ensures a high concentration of SCs at the target site but may require more invasive procedures depending on the target area.
How to Choose a Country and Clinic
Visit the Booking Health website. It features leading clinics and institutes that use SCs both in clinical research and medical practice. The site has many German clinics, as well as medical centres in Switzerland, Austria, Spain, and other developed European countries. You can also find clinics outside Europe, such as in South Korea and Israel.
The website lists the prices of medical services. You can sort clinics by price and choose a suitable option. The cheapest prices can be seen in clinics in Turkey, India, and Thailand. In developed countries, services are more expensive, but the treatment is of higher quality.
Booking Health team will help you choose a clinic based on your diagnosis. Leave a request on the site to get a consultation. We will contact you and offer the best options for treatment abroad. Our employees will help you choose a clinic and organise your trip.
German clinics offer a wide range of therapy options in regenerative medicine. The cost of stem cell therapy in Germany may be higher than in some other countries, but the quality of treatment, advanced research, and innovative approaches often justify the price. Whether you're looking for cutting-edge stem cell treatments or participating in ground-breaking research, German medical institutes are at the forefront of this field.
This article is part of the HealthManagement.org Point-of-View Programme.
